


To  belong to

by mydeardeath



Series: To belong [3]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Alpha Damian, Following the event of Bruce "death", Gen, M/M, omega tim
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-11
Updated: 2018-02-26
Packaged: 2019-03-02 10:01:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13315791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mydeardeath/pseuds/mydeardeath
Summary: The family has to adjust to Bruce apparent death. It brings changes that are sometimes hard to accept.--Tim helped Jason escape from Arkham. It may not have been his best idea. (chap 1)





	1. Chapter 1

Damian didn't take long to find the safehouse and in it, the man he had been looking for since Grayson returned to the manor, a bloodied bundle in his arms. The man wasn't trying to be discreet, probably too confident and self-assured now that the big bad bat wasn't in the picture anymore. Damian patiently waited for the guy to lose the armor and to go to another room, perched on the roof of the opposite building, giving him a good view of his target. Once he was sure the man wasn't coming back in the main room he jumped from his post and landed on the fire escape of the safehouse. Careful to not make a noise, he picked the lock of the window, sneaking soundlessly in the apartment. He took his dagger out and crept towards the door the man had gone through. Thankfully he had not fully close it, allowing Damian to peer through the small space to survey inside. The man had changed into casual clothes and was turning his back to the door, to Damian. Without losing time, Damian entered silently and attacked, cutting swiftly the skin of the man back while simultaneously landing a blow to the man knee with his foot, draining a cry from his target. It wouldn't be enough to incapacitate him, Damian knew. The man had been trained by the bat, as well as the league for a time before going to the All-caste. The man would be hard to take down, but Damian was determined.

The man whirled around, trying to kick him but his small heigh and training made him quick enough to dodge it. So when the man right arm shot up to where he was just a few seconds ago, Damian took the opportunity to run his dagger across the length of the man arm leaving a bleeding gash in his path. The man let out a low growl and continued to try to retaliate. But Damian kept twirling around him, letting cut after cut all over the man body. After a moment, the man was able to predict Damian next move and kicked him hard enough to send him flying into the wall. Damian met the hard surface with a loud thud but that barely slowed him as he was quick to get back on his feet, ready to fight anew.

If the man was surprised to discover that his assailant was a kid, and this one in particular, he didn't show it, remaining focused on Damian movement. Damian had the advantage of a weapon but this guy was weighing at least twice as much as him. He would have to think every movement and let the less possible opportunity for the man to hit him again. Not wasting time, he attacked again. Waiting would have done no good, he needed to be quick and efficient. He went for the throat, not really hoping to reach it but forcing the man to protect it. And leave other areas more vulnerable. So while the man went up to intercept Damian dagger, the boy slash his abdomen with a second blade. The pain was enough to momentarily distract him and enabled Damian to land a few blow to his knee and back.

Damian kept going at it until the man was covered in cuts and bruises, breathing harshly. It had taken some time, the man was no petty criminal but an experienced and strong opponent. The element of surprise and the vicious blow had allowed Damian to subdue his target that was now laying on the floor, barely moving. He would not die of his injuries, they were painful, not fatal. He had been careful to not touch any major artery.

Damian went for the man arsenal in the other room before coming back to him. He did not hesitate before impaling him with one of his grotesque imitation of a batarang. Satisfied with his work he finally left the safehouse without uttering a word. If the man wasn't completely stupid, he would understand what his actions meant. 

***

Damian managed to sneak into the manor unseen, he did not desire to be noticed while covered in blood by Pennyworth nor Grayson. But avoiding them didn't prove difficult as he wasn't their priority at the moment. Both of them were probably still occupied, tending to Tim's wound. He promptly undressed and quickly showered, getting rid of the blood on his arms and face, before putting on more casual clothes to join the rest of the family.

As he had guessed, Pennyworth and Grayson were in Tim's room and the man itself was still unconscious, looking extremely pale. It was Grayson that had found him a few hours ago barely breathing. When he had arrived, Pennyworth had hurried to him while he placed Tim on the medical bed. The old man had acted instantly, stopping the hemorrhage and sewing the skin back together. It would leave a visible scar but at least the bleeding had stopped. While the butler had cleaned the injury and transfused blood to Tim to compensate the loss, Nightwing had told them how he had found Robin on the verge of death after his encounter with the new "Batman". So as soon as the butler declared Tim out of danger, he had slipped out of the room deciding to go pay a visit to the Batman impostor.

They did not ask him where he had disappeared to, but it was obvious they both wanted to know. He did not tell them anything, they would know soon enough, and instead kept his attention focus on Tim. 

Most of the time he did not know how to act around the man. At first, he had been angry at him. When they first met, he had held his hand to him and all Damian could notice was his bare wrist. He knew that Tim ignored the signification of the ornament given by his father but he had not been able to stop himself from feeling betrayed. Just a few days later he had discovered that the curb was just being fixed after being grazed by a bullet. His anger had faded as relief took over. Then he felt embarrassed at his unjustified behavior. 

After that, their encounters, while devoid of glaring or violence, had still been awkward. Damian knew that announcing their engagement to the man wouldn't help, quite the contrary. Thus he did not tell him. He just observed him from afar, wanting to make him his but never daring. So when Damian took Tim cold hand in his, it was the first time he was touching his omega. He would have preferred him conscious for the occasion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On Tumblr : https://mydeardeath.tumblr.com/post/169559278126/to-belong-to-part-1


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not really satisfied with this chapter, but like I have the tendency to procrastinate (a lot) I prefer to post it now instead of giving up later !

When Tim awoke, he immediately felt the hot pain in his upper body. He tensed, remembering how Jason had stabbed him before leaving him to die alone. He tried to sit up, his hand going up to his chest, expecting to find a batarang but instead felt bandages under his palm. He realized he wasn't in Jason's batcave anymore. Someone had brought him back to the manor and wrapped his wound. He let his head fall back against the pillow with a tired sigh. He was safe, hurt but safe nonetheless. 

He laid for a few instant, calming his heartbeat that had skyrocketed before he had realized where he was. He carefully brought his fingers back to his waist trying to assess the extent of the damage through the bandages. He knew the batarang hadn't pierced any organs so his wounds were probably more painful than severe. He trusted Alfred to have done the best he could.

Taking a deep breath, he started to sit up, careful to not move too fast. When he finally managed to have his back straight and leaning against the headboard, he was feeling a bit dizzy. His arms were a bit shaky after the effort, the blood loss must have drained all his force and his muscles were sore. He took a few minutes to rest before slowly moving his leg outside the sheet, then on the floor. As he twisted his body, the pain in his chest awoken, making his stop to take a few more deep breaths. He gradually started to put his weigh on his legs, but still keeping his right arm on the nightstand for support. His legs were wobbly and weak, barely able to carry his body while standing. The first steps were difficult but he managed to reach the bathroom after some time. This five meters long walk left him exhausted. Adding that to have been beating, the image sent by the mirror in front of him was terrible. He had cuts on his face, one running for his left ears to below his chin. The bags under his eyes seemed more prominent than ever, contrasting strongly with his pale, almost translucent, skin. 

Turning away from his reflection, he dragged himself under the shower stream, not even bothering to take off his underwears. He let himself slide against the shower wall, too exhausted to stand on his legs any longer. He felt his body relaxed under the hot stream and his eyes kept shutting themselves. It would do him no good to fall asleep wet and in this position, but it was too late. He had just felt dirty and hadn't thought about the fact that getting out of the shower would be too hard. He tried resisting, but his eyelids felt louder and louder. 

"Tt"

The annoyed exclamation saved him from drifting off to sleep. When he raised his head, he discovered Damian standing before him staring at him disapprovingly. Maybe he deserved that look.

"What were you trying to accomplish, Drake ?

"...dirty..."

He wasn't even able to form an entire sentence, but the boy seemed to understand what he had wanted to say. With a sigh, he rolled up the sleeves of his shirt and came to kneel in front of him. Tim glance questioningly at him between his eyelashes. The boy didn't bother with an explanation, taking the soap into his hand and starting to rub it gently on Tim skin. Tim tried to protest, feeling uncomfortable to be this close to a boy he barely knew but he was too tired to speak or move. Damian cleaned him almost clinically, never lingering on any part of his body, to tried to put Tim at ease. 

As Damian had put back the soap in its place, Tim thought he was finished until he felt hands on his hair. When those hands started to massage his scalp, he almost melted immediately. He was pretty sure he let out a moan but was far too exhausted to care and let himself relax in the hands of the boy.

***

When he awoke again, the sun was shining high in the sky, letting him know that he was already the afternoon and that he had slept for more than a few hours. If he did had woke up that morning. He wasn't sure, as what had happened in the shower seemed surreal to him.

"Ah, master Timothy, you are finally awake." The butler exclaimed, smiling gently at him. "I was about to change your bandages. It won't take long, don't worry."

Alfred came next to him, helping him to a sitting position. He then proceeded to unwrapped the wound, careful not to touch it. He softly explained to Tim how Dick had found him and brought him back to the manor. He assured him he would recover in no time but would still keep a scar despite clean stitches. The wound was too deep to avoid it. Tim listened numbly to his words, nodding every once in a while to show he was listening. He didn't trust his voice at the moment as his throat felt dry and sore. So he just let Alfred take care of him.

Once he was done, Alfred offered to carry him downstairs making Tim vehemently shook his head.

"Are you sure, master Timothy ? We wouldn't want another incident like this morning. I dare not imagine what would have happened, had master Damian not found you !" The old butler declared as he went to retrieve clothes in Tim closet.

As he was turning his back to Tim, he missed how his body stiffened upon hearing his words. He had not been a strange dream. The boy had found him under the shower and washed him. He was uncertain of how he made him feel. Their first meeting had not been a good one by any mean but Damian had seemed to change just a day after. Their encounter where often, if not always, awkward. They had barely exchanged any word since the boy arrived, as of three months ago now. This moment in the shower was by far the more intimate they had ever had.

The feeling of unease increase when Alfred helped him put on some sweatpants he realized he was wearing different underwears that in the morning. Part of himself knew it was logical, they had been soak with water has he not remove them before entering the shower, but he couldn't stop himself from blushing. He was used to undressing in front of his family, injuries were pretty frequent in their line of work. Nonetheless, he had never been fully naked in front of any of them. Or in front of anyone, in fact, since the age of 4 when he had learned to shower without help. He was sure Alfred had noticed his reddening cheeks but he made no comment, which Tim was grateful for. He just kept dressing him before helping him to his feet, offering his arm in support. 

They reached slowly the kitchen and Tim was surprised to discover that both Dick and Damian were sitting at the table. He had heard no sound coming from the room. Though, he wasn't probably the only one not knowing how to act with the kid. Their heads snapped up when Tim entered, a big smile spreading across Dick's face. 

"Timmy ! You're up !" he cheered, coming to hug him. Thankfully he had the decency to not squeeze him (too much) as to not hurt him. 

Once Dick released him from his grip, he settled on the chair next to him and opposite to Damian. The boy was looking down, not paying attention to Tim, or at least pretending to. But Tim was soon distracted by the food Alfred brought him. He ate slowly to not upset his stomach while Dick happily chattered, not at all bothered to do so by himself. After being raised by Bruce he must have had the habitude of his words being met only by silence (or mere grunts).

When he finished his meal, Tim was feeling a lot better. His exhaustion had not only been due to his injury. In fact, he was already feeling tired before the fight with Jason. He probably should have eaten before putting on the batman suit. 

"What about Jason ? Did you find him ?" Tim interrupted Dick incessant chatter.

The older man grimaced : "I'm sorry Tim, we couldn't find him. Which was pretty weird. I hadn't expected him to hide, quite the contrary in fact."

"Maybe he understood how inadequate he was to bear the batman legacy."

Both men turned to Damian at his intervention. They hadn't expected Damian to take part in the conversation, he rarely did. They were even more surprised at his tone, they could guess that he knew more than he said.

"What do you mean, Damian ?"

"I highly doubt that Todd will be a problem anymore."

"Damian." Dick pressed, but the boy returned to ignoring them, letting the two others to wonder what he really meant.

***

For the rest of the week, Tim was bench. So he had to watch Dick's debut as Batman through the computer in the batcave. It's hard to not be by his side. It's harder to watch Damian with him. His heart had clenched when Dick had announced that the boy would be coming with him -them, soon- even if the boy was not wearing the Robin suit. That had been Tim's fear. But no, the boy was still wearing his clothes from the league of assassins with the addition of a mask to protect his identity. Tim was still Robin, yet he had the feeling of being replaced and couldn't wait to be back on the street.

But, while he was still a bit angry at Dick for bringing Damian with them, he still sympathized with him. The boy was impulsive, violent (almost bloodthirsty) and refused to follow most of the new Batman order. For him, Dick had yet to prove himself and thus had no authority over him. Thankfully, Dick was patient. Most people would have already snapped at Damian and send away the brat.

"Stop Damian ! We need him to be able to speak !" Tim suddenly yelled over the comm.

Surprisingly, Damian listened to him, releasing the thug he had been beating up. He always seemed to do so when it was Tim asking. Which was really strange. Tim had failed as Batman, so by Damian's logic his opinion should not matter, yet it did. He had wanted to question the boy about it before giving up the idea, fearing that the boy would stop listening altogether. 

After that incident, the night went mostly well. It was still Gotham, but there had seen worse. When the batmobile finally pulled up in the cave and they both exited it, Tim could see that Dick and Damian were arguing, again. Every night, Damian kept criticizing every decision Dick made. So Tim didn't wait for him to finish his rant before addressing Dick about the event of the night and what would be the plan for the following one as they had been sighting of Ivy being back in town. Damian made a scandalized noise at being so blatantly ignored, but he said nothing to Tim and strode up the stairs to his room. Now it was Dick's turn to look offended.

"How come he constantly question my orders but when it comes to you, he always obeys!" The oldest whimpered.

"Don't know, don't want to if it's mean he keep doing it !" Tim replied,  holding back his laughter at seeing Dick pouting face.

They stayed in the cave for another hour before Dick decided they both deserved to rest and would finish later.

***

Soon enough, Tim was back into the Robin suit. It was weird at first, having Dick as Batman. He was far more...talkative. He even sometimes smiled. Fortunately, he only did so when it was just the three of them. The three of them... that was even weirder than a smiling Batman. The dynamics were really different but his time as a Teen Titans had taught him to work with a team. Plus, Damian seemed to be better behaved now than what he had seen through the computer in the batcave. Dick still whined about unfair it was that Tim was the only one Damian was listening to. After all, he was the oldest brother. Still, they had to keep an eye on him, never liking it when he was out of sight.

For the moment they were hiding in the shadows, keeping an eye on the docks. Oracle had informed them that a weapons shipment was expected to arrive here. They didn't know for sure who was behind it, but they suspected Blackmask. The man had managed to overpower both Two-face and Copplebot, giving him free reign over Gotham's underworld. Plus, the henchmen wore not distinctive sign, eliminating the possibility of them working for one of the colorful Arkham residents that recently escaped. Thus far they had counted twenty of them, scattered across the place as to prevent anyone from interrupting the delivery. Obviously, they were doing a great job at it.

The wait was long and quiet. They're all posted on a different roof, even Damian. They had hesitated at having him be alone, but the boy had promised to do nothing too reckless. They both had agreed to let him on his own, using tonight as a sort of test, to see if they could really trust him. From his perch, Tim couldn't see him but, so far, the docks had remained calm, so he meant that the boy hadn't impulsively decided to jump on the thugs, which was pretty good in Tim's opinion. 

Finally, around two in the morning, a boat finally came in sight. Almost all lights were out, probably to be unnoticed, but didn't change anything for them as their mask had night-vision lenses. They waited for them to have discharged everything, to assess the number of persons that had been on the boat, and then they moved into action. Tim didn't try to engage any of them with witty remarks, not really in the mood for it. He just jumped behind two thugs and hit them with his bo staff, making them fall to the ground with one blow. Even after they realized the presence of the three vigilantes, the men didn't offer much of a fight. Most people still believed the Batman to be dead and thought themselves unstoppable, becoming less careful. And hiring dubious force.

Tim was about to rejoined Dick and Damian when he felt someone behind him. Twirling around, he hit them square in the chest, only to be met with a smile.

"Hi, Tim"

He was totally frozen in place. He must have somehow inhaled a hallucinogenic agent without noticing. It was the only logical explanation for what he was seeing :

"Kon ?"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On Tumblr : https://mydeardeath.tumblr.com/post/169826219686/to-belong-to-part-2


	3. Chapter 3

Tim was totally unable to concentrate on what his math teacher was saying. The only thing he could think of was Kon. This morning he had expected to find his bed empty, the presence of the other man only a hallucination. But no, Kon had still been here when he had opened his eyes, smiling softly at him, knowing what was going through his head. They had gone to bed together despite Damian's protests that it was improper to have an unbonded Alpha in the bed of an omega. To reassure him, Kon had explained that they had already done more than once. It didn't really have the desired effect as Damian had drawn his sword to threaten "the clone" with it. Alfred had broken the argument, saying that he didn't see any problem with them sharing a bed, especially considering that the penthouse had less room than the manor and the sofa, while very expensive, wasn't made to sleep on. Damian had suggested that the clone could just go, so Tim had taken Kon hand and left the room under Damian's glare.

They had both changed before laying done face to face. Kon told him how he had come back, brought back to life in the 30th century and traveled back through time. Most people wouldn't have believed a word coming from Kon's mouth, but Tim had seen far more strange things than that and accepted the explanation without hesitation. They had kept talking for a little while about what his friend had missed during his... absence. In fact, Tim didn't remember stopping, so he must have fallen asleep while Kon was still going at it.

Leaving for school had been hard, he had wanted to spend the day with the other boy. Ignoring Damian scornful comment, Kon had promised to come back later in the day, once Tim was back home. In the meantime he was stuck in the classroom, the words of his teaches barely registering in his brain. How could he pay attention to anything thing they were saying when his thoughts were filled with Kon ? Plus, he probably knew already whatever they were talking about. His friends were sending him questioning looks throughout the day as he couldn't stop tapping his foot against the floor and he pretended to not see them. They tried to question him at lunch but he hid away in an empty classroom. The rest of the day passed the same way but his friends had stopped asking questions. When the final bell finally rang, he sprung out of his seat and left the school without waiting for the teacher to finish his sentence.

Now that Dick had decided to move them downtown, his school was closer to their home and he took him less than half an hour to arrive at the penthouse where Kon was already waiting in the living room. Damian was also here, sulking in a corner, clearly displeased with the presence of the other boy in their home. Bruce had decided to let him study at home as he wasn't sure that Damian could be trusted with other kids of his age. So the boy was always at home whenever Tim would come back.

Tim went straight to the sofa, settling next to Kon and they began chattering as if they were all alone. Tim was in the middle of his explanation of a particularly unrealistic scene in the last movie he had seen at the theatre when he felt Kon caressed delicately the mark on his face with his fingertips. He stopped mid-sentence surprise by the touch.

"What happened to your face ?" Kon asked softly.

"I helped Jason escape from Arkham." Tim replied simply.

"That's how he thanked you ? If I see him..." The other growled before being interrupted by Damian's snort.

"You're too late for that, Clone boy. I already took care of him !"

"Damian !" Tim reprimanded him, disappointed in the boy total rejection of his friend.

"What it's true ! He didn't do anything, I did !

"Because he was dead !" Tim yelled. " I trust him to protect if the need come !"

"And you don't trust me ?"

"That's not what I said at all ! Stop making everything about you !"

Tim could feel the anger radiating from the younger boy but he was himself too upset to care. Thankfully Damian left the room, stopping their fight from escalating. After that, Tim wasn't really in the mood to resume their conversation, so they put on a film and relaxed in silence leaning against each other.

***

When the sun started his descent in the sky, Tim and Kon were still curled up together on the couch. The afternoon had been near perfect and Tim was feeling happier than he had ever been since his father's death. For once he hadn't lost someone but got them back. He was excited at the prospect of patrolling with Kon and maybe even going back to the Titans, which he hadn't done since the death of both of his best friends. The future seemed suddenly far brighter than two days ago.

He couldn't stop smiling as he Kon led to their new "cave", showing him around their new base of operation. At first, Kon was hesitant before he remembered that the Batman wasn't The Batman anymore but just Dick and thus he wouldn't end up with kryptonite down his throat for entering their lair. They still remained in their bubble while they prepared for patrol and despite Damian protests, they split up for patrol, Tim and Kon staying together while Dick took Damian with him.

The night seemed to pass in an instant, Tim feeling as if he was floating and nothing could hurt him. He didn't stop smiling for the next few days and got weird looks for his classmates. His friends probably fought he had gone nuts with how he had switched mood in one day, going from restless to a state of near constant bliss. Deep down, Tim knew it wouldn't last an yet he hadn't been prepared. He hadn't anticipated that Dick would be the one to put an end to his happiness.

He had happened a few days after Kon had moved back in the Titans Tower. Tim had gone to the cave to get suited for patrol to find Dick waiting for him in front of the computer, an uneasy look on his face. Hundreds of possibilities had gone through Tim's mind in an instant. Had something happened to any member of their family ? He didn't have time to press Dick for an explanation, stopped by the loud entrance of Damian in the room.

"What the hell are you wearing ?" Tim barked at the kid standing proudly before him in a red and green suit, a yellow R on his chest.

"Tim..."

"What ? You're okay with this ?" This time he turned to Dick, a betrayed look on his face.

"Damian needed..."

"So you did gave it to him." He stated.

Tim didn't let Dick the opportunity to add anything more, feeling too much hurt to stand the other man presence for any longer. Nobody went after him when he stomped out of the room and nobody stopped him when he started to fill his bags as the idea of Bruce not really being dead hit him nor when he left the penthouse, slamming loudly the door behind him. So when Dick came back and went to apologize to Tim he found nothing but a note : "He's alive and I'm going to prove it."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> on tumblr : https://mydeardeath.tumblr.com/post/170203346996/to-belong-to-part-3


	4. Chapter 4

For almost a year, Damian barely ever saw Tim. He kept coming in Gotham as if unable to leave for too long but he never stayed more than a few weeks. And when he did came back, seemingly for good, he moved out to his own apartment away from the family, away from him. Damian guessed he could understand. He hadn't been nice to Tim, quite the opposite in fact. Blinded by his jealousy he had wanted to hurt the other man and now Tim seemed more out of his reach than he had ever been. And now with Brown reappearance, he had one more contender. Thankfully, Tim hadn't welcomed Brown like he had the Clone. He was mad at her for simulating her death and, hopefully, he would stay that way long enough for Damian to come up with a plan. Because he would need one.

It was Alfred that had reminded him of the event to come. One that he hadn't stopped to dread since he had been made aware of. Tim was going to be eighteen. He was going to touch the inheritance left by his father. An inheritance of millions of dollars that Jack Drake wasn't supposed to have had. Dollars that he had gained from Damian when he had bought Tim. Tim would know that something was off, he was too smart to not to, and Damian would have to tell him everything. Damian that Tim currently hated. The news would probably draw Tim farther away from him. He could even lose him forever. It left Damian with less than a month to try to win Tim over. He would have to do so subtly or the other would guess he had prior motives.

To do so, he decided to join the other for patrol. His rejection would be less likely on the field as arguing with Damian could be a loss of precious time so he would let him tag along. Still, when he landed next to Red Robin on a rooftop he was met with a hard glare. The latest Robin didn't let himself be discouraged by the other coldness.

"Mind if I join you on patrol, Timothy ?" he asked politely, to show the other that the choice was his and that he wasn't trying to impose.

"No name on the field."

Not an acceptance. But neither a refusal, Damian could do with that. He maintained a neutral expression, to not show his pleasure to Tim and not seem overeager to pass some time with him. He crouched next to Tim, taking his binoculars out to observe the building across the street. He had read Tim report on the computer cave and knew that the older boy had been monitoring this gang activity for a few weeks. Tonight was just reconnaissance mission. No fight. At first, Damian had wanted to fight alongside the omega to prove to Tim he could count on Damian to watch his back. But, as he had often question Tim skills, he had feared that the boy would interpret his help as Damian doubting his ability to do the job by himself. Which wasn't true, he knew how capable his omega was. So he settled for a night where his interference wouldn't be perceived as an insult.

They stayed in silence side by side for hours. Damian's attempt at discussion had been thwarted by Tim's monosyllabic answers. The man clearly tolerated his presence and nothing more. So Damian stopped trying to engage him in small talk. Anyway, he was no good at it. He could simply go ahead and apologize but he would seem to out of character and raised questions he did not wish to answer.

But as nothing ever happens as planned, the calm warehouse suddenly exploded in a deafening sound.  
They both were on their feet in a matter of seconds but Damian restrained himself from running to the scene and waited for Tim directives. The other seemed to hesitate, looking back and forth from the burning building to Damian. He must have decided that the younger was trustworthy enough since he gestured at him to follow.

They checked the area surrounding the warehouse but saw nothing and Tim deduced that the explosion had come from the inside, probably caused by the thugs themselves. They had recently put a new drug on the street, one that was still at an experimental stage. They had a few laboratory where they were trying to perfect the formula.

They didn't have much more left to do than get the thugs out before the building collapse entirely on them. As they had already located every one of them it was a pretty easy task. So everything when fine until Tim decided to get back.

"I need samples from their lab, I will be quick."

Damian didn't have time to protest before he was gone. It had been dangerous to enter from the beginning, the structure was unstable, ready to break down at any given moment. It was foolish to go back inside. He would be even more stupid to follow Tim in here, his presence could distract the other and make them lose precious seconds. The only thing he could do was wait for Tim return. 

The police arrived before Tim had reappeared and Damian had to go hide on a rooftop near the fire, watching for afar as part of the building crumbled to the ground while hoping that Tim would make it out alive.

Which he almost didn't. By the time he got out, it was hard to tell that a building had been here just minutes ago. When Tim landed near Damian, the younger boy could see the dust and ashes covering his suit and the smile on his face. He made Damian snapped : "What were you thinking, you idiot ?"

"I had everything under control, Damian." Tim argued.

"No name on the field." At that Tim couldn't help the little smile pulling at the corner of his lips.

"Just... let's go home." The older sighed, dismissing the boy worry.

"You are coming back to the manor ?" Damian questioned, a bit too excited but Tim didn't seem to notice.

"I need to talk to B. So, yes. For tonight."

"I will drive !" It was Damian typical claim, rarely followed by acquiescence but surprisingly Tim did let him. And maybe that hadn't been a good idea, he thought now that the omega was pressed against his back as they rode Tim's bike. Thankfully puberty hadn't kick in yet so his reaction wouldn't be physically apparent. But he still was hyper-aware of the toned chest against his back, of hands on his waist. And if he took a few sharp turns on the way home, he had nothing to do with the way Tim's grip on him tighten.

Bruce was in the cave when they came back, a deep scowl on his face. He still refused to let Damian out unsupervised. He was probably angry that his son had sneaked out, once again. His father was about to lecture him but Damian interrupted him : "I know I wasn't supposed to be out alone. You said I couldn't but you also said that I could learn from the rest of this family. And it's what I did. I watched Timothy work all night on a reconnaissance mission."  
"It's true Bruce. Damian behaved...well." He seemed to not believe it himself. "He didn't try to jump in a fight which would have ruined weeks of work. He waited for my orders."  
Bruce was surprised by that. Not just Damian listening to the former Robin, but Tim siding with him. So he let Damian disobedience pass, simply sending him to bed.

***

It happened more and more as the days passed. Damian kept claiming he was coming with him by obligation and not by his own volition. Yet, he only did it with Tim.The few times he had been paired up with Brown, he criticised most of her choices. He did listen to Dick (and Cassandra, the rare time she came to Gotham) but he patrolled far less with Nightwing than with Red Robin. 

Tim still rarely slept at the manor but he did let Damian come with him at his house time to time. Tonight was one of this few occasions and the younger would seize the opportunity to tell the truth to Tim. His birthday was in just two days so Damian didn't have much time left. This could be his last chance do to it when alone with Tim.  
The man had his back turn to him, typing tonight's report on his computer, letting Damian fidget helplessly behind him.

"Your birthday is in two days and..." Tim hummed noncommittally while the boy was struggling to find the correct words. "You will come of age and I may be only eleven..."

"Wow there Damian, it's sound like you're going to propose !" The older teased, turning toward the boy.

"Technically I already did".

Seeing Tim confused expression told him everything about his meeting with Jack Drake, about Damian buying the house and about the contract they had met. The contract about Tim becoming Damian's omega. He could see that the other man playful smile had slipped from his face as he became more and more upset as words left Damian's mouth but he couldn't stop.

"Get out I don't have time for your childish pranks !" Tim ordered him coldly.

"It is no prank, you are mine, you belong to..."

"Stop right there brat. I belong to no one !"Tim shouted at him, jumping out of his chair to push Damian toward the exit. "I don't care if you have suddenly decided you would be an alpha, which, I'm sorry to tell you, you can't predict, and that you wanted me as your omega. But it doesn't work like that, omegas aren't objects to possess. So the fact that you would like to fuck me doesn't give you any right to me."

"It is not a childish whim, I..."

"I guess I understand now why you were being so "nice" !" he said with the weak chuckle as if he hadn't heard Damian. "It suddenly makes a lot more sense."

"Timothy, would you please listen..." 

"I think I heard enough Damian, you know the way out."

Defeated, Damian could only obey. Tim had resumed writing the report and was acting like the boy had already left. He didn't turn once as Damian disappear through the door. Tim reaction had been one he had expected, yet he had hoped it would go well. Tim had come to tolerate his presence, even smiling a few times at him. The older just kept misunderstanding his attention. He had genuine affection for Tim, it was no cruel joke to hurt the other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> on tumblr : https://mydeardeath.tumblr.com/post/170507207111/to-belong-to-part-4


	5. Chapter 5

Tim hadn't talked to him since he had told him for the contract. The boy - well man, now- was furious at him and his "pathetic lie". Damian had to see him going around greeting everyone with a big smile. He seemed adamant on having a good birthday party, ignoring completely the youngest of the family.

Everyone had come, Cassandra flight had landed in Gotham the day before, Brown had been invited in a tentative truce between her and Tim, and, of course, Pennyworth, Gordon, Dick and his father were there as well. The four of them had been at the manor for the past week, getting everything ready for the big day. Bruce had exceptionally authorized metas in his city and the Titans could arrive at any moment. Tim hadn't been able to invite his friends from high school ; they could have easily recognized the Titans. He would go out with them later in the day.

Everyone was wearing happy faces, putting down gifts on the living room table and forcing hugs on Tim. Everyone but Damian. He did have a gift but had kept it in his pocket. His hand couldn't stop reaching for it as he felt his anxiety build up. Should he give it to Tim ? He wasn't sure anymore. He had thought it a good idea just a few days ago, before his dispute with Tim. Now he couldn't tell how the man would react to it. Not that he had ever been any good had predicting Tim's reaction.

For the moment he resigned himself to endure a party he was clearly not welcome to. He did not wish to miss Tim eighteenth birthday. He wanted to be part of the important occasion of the older's life. And when they all settle in the living room, he sat far from Tim but still in a place that would allow him to observe him without the other noticing. Well, provided that he didn't look Damian's way. But he was likely that others people in the room would notice. Including his father and Dick. That would let to undoubtedly interesting and very awkward conversation.

Brown, on the other hand, didn't hesitate before plastering herself against Timothy. He had yet to forgive her but it seemed that she had interpreted the fact he had stopped systematically shutting her out as an invitation to resume their relationship as it was before her death. The thought was appalling. Damian hoped that Tim would reject her advances. It had seemed to him that Tim had moved on. But as numerous occasions had proved, he sucked at reading the other man.

Soon everyone was here and Timothy other side was taken by the Clone at Dick great disappointment. The boy was also pretty tactile, so between him and Brown Tim was constantly being touched. Damian felt the need to rip them off his omega body but Tim had been right. He was no alpha. He was just a kid. When he had been even younger the age difference had hardly bothered him. He had been unthinkable back then that Tim would not be his. Now, he knew he had no control over the omega choices. The realization that Tim might end up with with the Clone or Brown or anyone that was not him had hit him hard. He wanted to celebrate the birthday of this beautiful omega but he just felt sick. Still, he stayed in the room. It was too late to leave without all eyes turning to him. He did not particularly care if his father noticed, it was kind of inevitable, but others... he wouldn't be able to stand it the Titans or that stupid blonde omega knew. Or maybe they already did. Maybe Tim had told them about what happened two days ago.

The afternoon passed in laughter. They rarely had time to sit down all together and just enjoy each other company, so they took advantage of this opportunity. Damian did participate a bit in the festivity. Well, sort of. He had talked for a few minutes with Dick and passed some cake to Beast Boy when they started eating. Besides that, he mostly stayed silent in a corner of the room. He didn't move either when Tim began to open his gifts. The little box he had brought remained hidden in his pocket. Tim was so happy for the moment and he had no desire to spoiled his day. He had done it enough in the past.

Through the whole party, Tim didn't look at him even once. It was hard to tell if he was purposefully ignoring him or if he just didn't care. He had his family and friends in the room. And what was Damian to him ?

When nightfall, most of them suited up except the birthday boy. He had the day off and was supposed to meet his civilian friend at a bar to get drunk. Technically it wasn't legal in the US but Ives had insisted and Tim had given in to his request to make up for often being a shitty friend. He had missed so much night with his high school friends because of the secrets he had to keep. So tonight he would an average eighteen years old getting shit-faced with his friends to celebrate his birthday. A bit of normalcy once in a while could be refreshing. Not that Damian knew much about this kind of thing.

Patrol was pretty calm tonight and failed to truly distract Damian. His mind kept wandering back to the Omega, to the Alphas probably surrounding him at the bar. So, when Batman announced that they were done for the night, Damian couldn't resist checking up on Tim. It was on his way home anyway. Well, kind of. The bar was in Burnley which wasn't that far from the manor. He would lose twenty minutes at most by going there. So it wasn't stalking at all. Plus, it's not as if Tim would ever know, just a quick look and he would be gone !

He didn't even have to sneak up in the building, Tim was outside of it, encircled by dumb Alphas, his friends out of sight. Damian waited for Tim to put them all down but the Omega kept pushing them away drunkenly, using more his words than his fists. Was Tim really inebriated ?

It suddenly hit Damian that it hardly mattered. Where Red Robin could lend a punch that would know these assholes in one go, Tim Drake couldn't. So it was up to him to jump in and save the omega. Which mean that Tim would know he was here. But well, he didn't have much of a choice, did he ?

He went down on them hard, landing just in front of Tim and hitting the first guy he could reach in the jaw, breaking it. A second man's head met the brick wall of the building in a loud crack and he slumped on the ground immediately. Damian was fighting more viciously than usual. His father would probably ground him again when he would hear of it. If he was lucky, Tim would fell grateful enough to keep his mouth shut about it. Batman might still hear of it, he thought when the third guy arm broke under the pressure of Robin's hands. Without a pause, he also smashed a beer bottle on the last standing man head.

When he turned toward Tim, the older looked far more alert than before. So, he hadn't been as drunk as he looked.  
"You should go home, Damian." His tone betrayed no emotion.  
"But..."  
"Just go home. We'll talk about this later."

He didn't really believe what Tim had said. He was pretty sure the omega would go back to ignoring him after that but he went anyway, he didn't have any fight left in him at this point.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On tumblr : https://mydeardeath.tumblr.com/post/170950721701/to-belong-to-part-5
> 
> The last chapter should be here by the end of the next week !


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter, I hope you'll like it !

He hadn't expected Tim to truly seek him out to talk. Even less to be invited into the Omega home once again. Yet here he was. Tim looked pretty well and didn't seem to suffer from a hangover. He was already well dressed as if ready to go to work. The older man had also got rid of the pungent stench of the bar. In fact, he smelled quite good. Maybe a bit too much because he seemed Damian had been caught sniffing him. Thankfully he only received a weird look for his behavior.

Tim led him to the kitchen, offering him lunch. For a long time he didn't say anything, letting Damian squirm in his chair uncomfortably in front of him. The boy didn't even touch his food. Not that Timothy was a bad cook (well, maybe a bit but he wouldn't be wise to say so now !), but he was too nervous to swallow anything without the risk of it coming back.

"I went to my father's lawyer office this morning." Well, that explained why he had put on a suit. "Apparently my father had created a trust fund that I was to only know of after my majority. Can you guess how much was in it ?

"No".

"No ?" That probably wasn't the answer had been expected if his raised eyebrows were any indication.

"Well, I think that your father was wise enough to invest said money so the sum must have grown since the creation of this fund."

"Yeah, right. What a great businessman he was ! Selling his own son !" As much as Tim was good at hiding his emotion, Damian could still detect the bitterness in his ton. Which was understandable. Damian had grown as the grandson of one of the most powerful men in the world. Everything was within his reach. So buying Tim had seemed normal back then. Now he had learned that the world was different than his education had led him to believe. He may have money and power but he didn't entitle him to everything he desired. He had no right over other human beings. He had no right over this Omega.

"He just tried to secure your future. And you know that I hardly take no for an answer. I am a capricious brat, after all." Tim had called him that on more than one occasion. With reason.

"It hardly matters. You were right. So what now ?"

"What do you mean ?"

"I am legally yours."

"I don't intend to force you. But I would like you to consider me as a potential mate. I know we do not have the best relationship and that it is mostly my fault. I have difficulty managing my reaction when it comes to you." Damian explained, sincerely. He couldn't screw this up. This might his last chance with Tim.

"Yeah, I noticed. I can see now why you hated Kon and acted like an asshole after. But the day we met, you really seemed to hate me. Why ?

"You weren't wearing it". He muttered.

"What ?"

"The curb." Tim's fingers went automatically to it. How had he missed this detail ? He should have guessed where it had come from after discovering that Damian had told the truth. His father had given it to him just after selling the house. Along with a collar.

"The collar was yours also, I supposed ?"

"I was aware of our age difference. It may not have dissuaded me from pursuing you, but I knew that other Alphas would seek your attention and I wished to keep them away."

"Do you want me to wear one ?"

"Not if it makes you uncomfortable. As I said, if I am to have you, it will only be because you want it. I have learned of the notion of consensuality in my years in Gotham and cannot do without it."

"Good. I may consider it. But I'm not wearing a fucking collar."

"It's okay." He spoke a bit too quickly, his tone betraying his excitement.

"I can't make you any promises, Damian, but... I hadn't been looking for a mate before and the fact that I'm legally an adult didn't change that. So maybe you will still have a chance when you got older. But no courting before you're at least sixteen !"

"I can do with that. In fact, I had not imagined that you would so kind considering my behavior in the past."

"Well, now that I understand your actions better, I am more willing to give you a second chance. Don't mess it up."

They stayed together for one more hour after their discussion, remaining on safe topic for the moment, before Tim had to go. He had a date with Tam. He watched Damian intently when he announced it so the younger boy refrained any form of reactions. He must not have been very successful since Tim smiled softly at him, reassuring him that they were just friends, nothing else. He even ruffled Damian hair in an affectionate gesture that the boy had to keep himself from reacting too strongly to. He was not used to that kind of touch. Dick did it sometimes and Damian reflexes were to rebuff his hands. But hitting Tim's would probably ruin their little moment of peace.

***

  
Tim went back to San Francisco for two weeks after that but when he came back he made time to meet up with Damian at least once a week outside of patrol. Just the two of them. The younger was really grateful. Tim was busy and he appreciated the efforts the Omega was making for him. Their relationship was so much better and Damian was feeling more confident in his interactions with the other. At first, they barely talk, walking on eggshells around each other, always afraid to say the wrong thing and ruin their newfound friendship. Then Damian had opened up about his drawings with Tim, letting the older man observed him while he worked. He had convinced Tim to give it a try to despite the other insistence that he sucked at it. Which he truly did. Damian had tried to compliment Tim artwork but he had seen right through him. Thankfully that had only made him laugh. He even called Damian sweet making the boy frowned his disgust. That had only made Tim laugh harder. It had been a really good day.

So now Damian felt confident enough to give Tim the gift he hadn't dared show to the other a few months ago.

"Why did you bring me here Damian ?"

"You remember what I have told you of my deal with your father ?"

"Hard not to. You legally own me."

"You're not the only thing I bought that day."

"What ?" Tim frowned. "Oh, yes ! The house !" He had totally forgotten that detail. He had seemed of not much importance compared to the rest. "The house is yours too."

"No. It's yours. If you want to." Then Damian took out the house's key and extended his hand toward Tim. "I wanted to give it to you for your birthday but..."

"I get it. I would probably have reacted badly back then."

"And now ?"

Tim didn't respond. Damian could see he was deep in his thoughts. He had grown up there, coming back was probably reviving old memories.

"I didn't touch anything since you left. Everything you let behind is still here. I will leave you alone."

He made his way to his car when the other called him :"Damian". The boy stopped in his track. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, Timothy."

  
***

That was the last time Damian saw Timothy that day. The city had been relatively calm for a few days, which should have told them that something was off. Still, they weren't prepared when the first wave hit. It was still pretty early in the afternoon, none of them was suited up when it happened. Thousands of robots, barely any bigger than a hand, had surged through Gotham, setting the city afire in a matter of minutes. Damian had been the first to fight them. After letting Tim at the old Drake's mansion he had gone to the penthouse. He often came here even after they had moved back to the manor following his father return. Here, he could enjoy some time without his father watching over him and lecturing him. So, when the attack began he went to the building's secret room and put his Robin suit on.

Trying to destroy all the robots would have been foolish. There were too many of them. They were faster than his bike and their size made them hard targets. He searched for a frequency they could have been linked to so he could disable them all at the same time but he could find none. He went through the city, saving everyone he could but no matter how many machines fell, their number never seemed to diminish.  
He could hear Oracle and Batman in his ears, trying to come up with a plan. They were attempting to locate the person manipulating the robots army without much success.

"I got one." Red Robin voice cut through the coms. "This little thing was hard to catch, but hopefully I will be able to take the other down by hacking this one."

  
For a moment Tim was silent. The rest of them -Batman, Nightwing, Robin and even the Red Hood- fought against the numerous assailants, gaining time in hope that Tim would succeed. It was all they could do. Even if their efforts seemed to change nothing. They destroyed robot after robot while new waves of them arrived. That why he - and all the others - were so surprised when the attack stopped suddenly. All the automat stopped at the same time before disappearing in the same direction. Everyone was a bit confused and relieved until an "Oh fuck" broke the silence.

"Tim ?"

"No name, remember Robin ?"

"Is there a problem, Red Robin ?" B. asked.

"Well, I managed to change their target so the civilians should be safe. But...they're all coming my way now.

"We're coming, hold on !" Bruce hadn't finished saying this that Damian was already on his bike taking off to Tim's location.

The more he approached, the more desperate he felt. He could see the thousands of robots gathered in a dark cloud and the flames of the burning buildings ahead of him. Tim was in the middle of that. Alone against them all.  
As suddenly as they had changed of path earlier, they left the city leaving chaos behind them. Tim must have managed to hack their system so they would become inoffensive. His omega was that good.  
Damian abruptly hit the brakes of his bike. This was supposed to be Tim location. But all Damian could see was a burning crater. He called out for Tim. But the other wasn't here. He was nowhere to be seen. He had stopped answering his come. His tracker had stopped sending a signal. That why the robots had stopped. Tim had been their sole target. And Tim was gone. They had no more reason to stay. Because Tim was gone.  
He could barely hear Batman and Nightwing behind him asking about the situation. He could only bend down and take the bo staff lying on the ground. Tim's weapon.  
He didn't react either when his father touched his shoulder. Because Tim was gone.  
He helped clean the city and secure civilians that had been hurt and were still stuck inside of buildings menacing to collapse at any given moment. He did all that in a numb state, mildly aware of his surroundings because the only thing he could think of was that Tim was gone.  
And when everything was over, when they were all - almost all - back home, he just slumped to the floor because Tim was gone. His Timothy was gone.  
So he allowed himself to cry. He didn't care if he seemed weak to the others. He didn't care about anything because Tim was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On tumblr : https://mydeardeath.tumblr.com/post/171309389731/to-belong-to-part-6


End file.
